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<CENTER><B><I><FONT COLOR="#990000"><FONT SIZE=+2>Greater and 'Lesser'
Jihad?</FONT></FONT></I></B></CENTER>

<CENTER>&nbsp;</CENTER>

<CENTER><B><I><FONT COLOR="#000099">By Abu Khubayb and Abu Zubayr</FONT></I></B></CENTER>

<CENTER>&nbsp;</CENTER>

<CENTER>&nbsp;</CENTER>

<CENTER>&nbsp;</CENTER>

<CENTER><B><FONT COLOR="#000099"><FONT SIZE=+1>THE <I>SLANDERED</I> JIHAD</FONT></FONT></B></CENTER>

<CENTER>&nbsp;</CENTER>
Among the <I>erroneous</I> notions aimed at stifling the spirit of Jihad
in this Ummah is the idea of 'greater' and 'lesser' Jihads. According to
this belief, striving against desires of the self is considered the <I>Greater</I>
Jihad, which makes the Jihad of the battlefield the <I>Lesser</I> Jihad.
This idea is based upon a story mentioned by al Khatib al Baghdadi in his
book, "<I><FONT COLOR="#000000">The History of Baghdad</FONT></I>", by
way of Yahya ibn al 'Ala', who said,

<P>"<I><FONT COLOR="#000099">We were told by Layth, on the authority of
'Ata', on the authority of Abu Rabah, on the authority of Jabir, who said,</FONT></I>
'<I><FONT COLOR="#000099">The Prophet (salallaahu 'alayhee wa sallam) returned
from one of his battles, and thereupon told us,</FONT></I> '<I><FONT COLOR="#000099">You
have arrived with an excellent arrival, you have come from the Lesser Jihad
to the Greater Jihad - the striving of a servant (of Allah) against his
desires.</FONT></I>''"

<P>This concept, despite the fact that it is based on a hadeeth, can be
refuted from several aspects, of which we shall mention the following.

<P><B><I>Firstly</I></B>:

<P>This hadeeth <I>cannot</I> be used to establish proof, for Al Bayhaqi
has said regarding it, that "<I><FONT COLOR="#000099">Its chain of narration
is weak. (Da'eef)</FONT></I>", Al Suyuti also pronounced a verdict of weakness
on it in his book, "<I><FONT COLOR="#000000">Al Jam'i al Saghir</FONT></I>".

<P>Somebody might claim that <I>da'eef </I>(<I>weak</I>) Ahadeeth can be
accepted in matters of superogatory virtuous deeds. This is unacceptable,
for we do not believe that Jihad can be a <I>superogatory</I> deed. Indeed,
how can it be so when the Messenger of Allah <I><FONT COLOR="#000099">(salallaahu
'alayhee wa sallam)</FONT></I> has said that the asceticism of his Ummah
lies in Jihad?

<P>Furthermore, anybody who follows up on Yahya ibn al 'Ala', the narrator
of the hadeeth, will find in his biography things which will make him forsake
the man's <I>Ahadeeth</I>. Ibn Hajar al 'Asqalani said about him in "<I>A<FONT COLOR="#000000">l-Taqrib</FONT></I>",

<P>"<I><FONT COLOR="#000099">he was accused of forging Ahadeeth.</FONT></I>"

<P>Al Dhahabi said in "<I>A<FONT COLOR="#000000">l-Mizan</FONT></I>",

<P>"<I><FONT COLOR="#000099">Abu Hatim said that he is not a strong narrator,
Ibn Mu'in classified him as weak, al Daraqutni said that he is to be neglected,
and Ahmad ibn Hanbal said that he is a liar and a forger of Ahadeeth.</FONT></I>"

<P><B><I>Secondly</I></B>:

<P>This hadeeth explicitly contradicts clear verses of the Qur'an. Allah
the <I>Mighty</I>, the <I>Majestic</I>, says, <I><FONT SIZE=-1>(Translation
of the Meaning)</FONT></I>,
<BR>&nbsp;
<CENTER>"<B><I><FONT COLOR="#990000">Those believers who sit back are not
equal to those who perform Jihad in the</FONT></I></B></CENTER>

<CENTER><B><I><FONT COLOR="#990000">Path of Allah with their wealth and
their selves. Allah has favored those who perform Jihad</FONT></I></B></CENTER>

<CENTER><B><I><FONT COLOR="#990000">with their wealth and their selves
by degrees over those who sit back. To both (groups) has</FONT></I></B></CENTER>

<CENTER><B><I><FONT COLOR="#990000">Allah promised good, but Allah has
favored the mujahideen with a great reward, by ranks</FONT></I></B></CENTER>

<CENTER><B><I><FONT COLOR="#990000">from Him, and with Forgiveness, over
those who sit back. And Allah is Oft-Forgiving,</FONT></I></B></CENTER>

<CENTER><B><I><FONT COLOR="#990000">Most-Merciful.</FONT></I></B>"</CENTER>

<CENTER><FONT SIZE=-1>Qur'an <I>[4:95-96]</I></FONT></CENTER>


<P><B><I>Thirdly</I></B>:

<P>This hadeeth contradicts <I>mutawatir</I> (<I>mass-narrated</I>) Ahadeeth
which have been reported from the Prophet <I><FONT COLOR="#000099">(salallaahu
'alayhee wa sallam)</FONT></I>, and which make plain the <I>excellence</I>
of Jihad. We will mention a few of these.
<BR>&nbsp;
<CENTER>"<B><FONT COLOR="#990000">A morning or an evening spent in the
Path of Allah is better than</FONT></B></CENTER>

<CENTER><B><FONT COLOR="#990000">the world and <I>all</I> it contains.</FONT></B>"</CENTER>

<CENTER><I><FONT SIZE=-1>[Bukhari and Muslim]</FONT></I></CENTER>

<CENTER>&nbsp;</CENTER>

<CENTER>"<B><FONT COLOR="#990000">Standing for an hour in the ranks of
battle in the Path of Allah is better</FONT></B></CENTER>

<CENTER><B><FONT COLOR="#990000">than standing for sixty years (in prayer).</FONT></B>"</CENTER>

<CENTER><I><FONT SIZE=-1>[Sahih al- Jami']</FONT></I></CENTER>


<P>Abu Hurayrah <I><FONT COLOR="#000099">(radiallaahu 'anhu)</FONT></I>
said,

<P>"<I><FONT COLOR="#990000">Is any of you able to stand in prayer without
stopping, and to fast continuously for as long as he lives?</FONT></I>"
The people said, "<I><FONT COLOR="#000099">Oh Abu Hurayrah! Who could endure
that?</FONT></I>" He said,
<BR>&nbsp;
<CENTER>"<I><FONT COLOR="#990000">By Allah! A day of a mujaahid in the
Path of Allah is better than that.</FONT></I>"</CENTER>


<P>The claim of those who say that the 'struggle against the self' is the
Greater Jihad because the individual is put to test by day and by night,
may be refuted by the following hadeeth: On the authority of Rashid, on
the authority of Sa'd <I><FONT COLOR="#000099">(radiallaahu 'anhu)</FONT></I>,
on the authority of one of the Companions, that a man said, "<I><FONT COLOR="#990000">Oh
Messenger of Allah! Why is it that the believers are all put to trial in
their graves, except for the martyrs?</FONT></I>" He <I><FONT COLOR="#000099">(salallaahu
'alayhee wa sallam) </FONT></I>said,
<BR>&nbsp;
<CENTER>"<B><FONT COLOR="#990000">The clashing of swords above his head
was sufficient trial for him.</FONT></B>"</CENTER>

<CENTER><I><FONT SIZE=-1>[Sahih al-Jam'i]</FONT></I></CENTER>


<P><B><I>Fourthly</I></B>:

<P>This erroneous and slanderous notion involves <I>injustice</I> and wrong
to the status of the <I>mujahideen</I>. Allah <I><FONT COLOR="#000099">(Ta'aala)</FONT></I>
has ordered us to practice justice in our verdicts, saying, <I><FONT SIZE=-1>(Translation
of the Meaning)</FONT></I>,
<BR>&nbsp;
<CENTER>"<B><I><FONT COLOR="#990000">Be just, it is closer to piety; and
fear Allah. Allah is aware of what you do.</FONT></I></B>"</CENTER>

<CENTER><I><FONT SIZE=-1>Qur'an [5:8]</FONT></I></CENTER>


<P>Is it any part of justice and fair treatment for us to say that our
brethren in the land of attention and battle are in a <I>lesser</I> Jihad
when the mines are exploding beneath their feet, with the result that their
bodies fly into the air, and their limbs and blood are scattered all over,
to the extent that their pure corpses cannot be contained in a grave?
<BR>&nbsp;
<CENTER><I><FONT COLOR="#000099">And that is for the sake of Allah, and
if He wills,</FONT></I></CENTER>

<CENTER><I><FONT COLOR="#000099">He may bless the limbs of a body torn
to pieces.</FONT></I></CENTER>


<P>Were these youths in a <I>lesser</I> Jihad, while our fasting, and breaking
our fasts on the most delicious of food are then a greater Jihad?...

<P><B><I>By Allah!</I></B> This is an unequal measure, and if you were
to put the matter before the most knowledgeable people on earth, they would
<I>never</I> arrive at such a disparate verdict.

<P><B><I>Fifthly</I></B>:

<P>The Egyptian, Dr. Muhammad Amin says, in his book, "<I>The Path of Islamic
Propagation</I>",

<P>"<I><FONT COLOR="#000099">Jihad of the self and Jihad by wealth, if
they do not lead one to establish the Call of Truth, and to stand beside
it, enjoining the right and forbidding the wrong, and contributing one's
life and wealth in the Path of Allah, are deficient Jihads containing inadequacy.</FONT></I>

<P><I><FONT COLOR="#000099">It is astonishing that the hour of testing
and of severity, in which the feet are shaken and the heart reaches the
throat, can be called the Hour of the Lesser Jihad, while the hours of
safety and comfort in secure homes, in the midst of one's family and friends,
can be called hours of the Greater Jihad!</FONT></I>

<P><I><FONT COLOR="#000099">In the like of such appellations do the holders-back
rejoice in their sitting behind from obeying the Messenger of Allah (salallaahu
'alayhee wa sallam) and his Companions (radiallaahu 'anhum)? Such people
find contentment and comfort in this way, while in reality they only deceive
their weak souls, for the true values of the deeds are entirely the opposite.</FONT></I>"

<P><I>Finally</I>, we conclude with some verses which were sent by the
<I>mujaahid</I> scholar 'Abdullaah ibn al Mubarak, from the land of Jihad
to his friend Al Fudayl ibn 'Iyad, who used to preach to the rulers and
make them cry, yet did not seek any payment, being a sincere worshipper.
<BR>&nbsp;
<CENTER><I><FONT COLOR="#000099">Oh worshipper in the Two Sanctuaries,
if you could only behold us,</FONT></I></CENTER>

<CENTER><I><FONT COLOR="#000099">You would see that you, in your devotions,
are only playing.</FONT></I></CENTER>

<CENTER><I><FONT COLOR="#000099">If you are one whose cheek is tinged with
his tears,</FONT></I></CENTER>

<CENTER><I><FONT COLOR="#000099">Then our chests are dyed with our blood.</FONT></I></CENTER>
&nbsp;
<BR>&nbsp;

<P><B><I>- Abu Khubayb</I></B>
<BR>&nbsp;

<P>&nbsp;
<CENTER>
    <p>&nbsp;</p>
    <p>&nbsp;</p>
    <p>&nbsp;</p>
    <p><B><FONT COLOR="#990000"><FONT SIZE=+2>The <I>Pretended</I> Jihad</FONT></FONT></B></p>
  </CENTER>

<CENTER>&nbsp;</CENTER>
Some people may be <I>astonished</I> when they hear a person describing
Jihad in person as a <I>lesser</I> Jihad, or who deems fighting in the
Path of Allah <I><FONT COLOR="#000099">(Ta'aala)</FONT></I> little in comparison
to other acts of devotion. However, if we pursue the lives of these people,
look at their histories and investigate the reason for their confusion
regarding the matter, we will find that the explanation for their stance
is simple. These are the people who people undervalue Jihad and give priority
to studying in universities, writing in magazines, and giving speeches
in conferences over fighting and being martyred. By examining their lives,
one will find a common denominator which brings them together in deficiency
and unites them in their vantage point.

<P>The common denominator among the feeble and those who hold back from
Jihad (the people of theories and concepts) is that they have <I>not</I>
participated in Jihad. The opportunity has not presented itself to these
people (by the Will of Allah <I><FONT COLOR="#000099">Ta'aala</FONT></I>),
nor have they had the good fortune to join a camp of <I>mujahideen</I>.
In such a camp there is a lack of luxuries and a scarcity of necessities
which would make them feel the difference between a day in the camp and
a similar day in the university with its food, entertainment, and air-conditioned
class rooms.

<P><I>How can these people recognize the true value of Jihad when they
have not participated in the regiments of war nor entered into the arenas
of tumult?</I>

<P>If a man plunges into a single battle, it will be sufficient to correct
all his misconceptions. The soldier, in only a few hours, may see things
whose horror would make children gray haired: bombs and splinters sweeping
away the souls of the most beloved of his Brethren who shared with him
his traveling, training, <I>ribat</I> (guarding the front line), and Jihad.
What will be the situation of these people when the rockets and shells
are exploding over their heads and beneath their feet? How will it be when
they see with their very own eyes the scattering of arms, legs and intestines
so that a healthy body with well-proportioned limbs will become handicapped,
dismembered, or paralyzed?...

<P>This then is the underlying reason for the confusion on the part of
those who underrate Jihad.

<P>In a few hours or days, the <I>mujaahid</I> sees, with his own eyes,
such hardships, trials, and tribulations as others do not see in <I>decades</I>.
It will be impossible for anyone who engages in this experience of Jihad
to equate <I>physical</I> Jihad with other pacifistic means of <I>Da'wah</I>.
Therefore, anyone who disputes with the <I>mujaahid</I> in the issue of
Jihad or who calls people to <I>abandon</I> fighting should join a camp,
even if only as a servant. Or he should participate in a battle <I>even</I>
if only as a cook.

<P>Then after that, we will see if, in his opinion, the pen is equal to
the <I>Kalashnikov</I>.
<BR>&nbsp;
<BR>&nbsp;

<P><B><I>- Abu Zubayr</I></B>
<BR>&nbsp;

<P><B><I><FONT SIZE=-1>- Formatted and Edited by Abu Suhayb</FONT></I></B>
<BR>&nbsp;
<BR>&nbsp;
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